DANBURY, Conn. — The entry-level premium sedan segment is one of the auto industry's most competitive battlegrounds. With nearly a dozen serious players competing for over a million sales annually, no automaker—not even BMW—can afford to offer dated products. They'll simple languish on the showroom floor. Good thing Acura has a completely freshened lineup for 2009, with an update on the flagship Acura RL, an all-new TSX and, now, an all-new TL.

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Our drive started with a quick helicopter ride from Manhattan to Patron-Highcroft Racing's race shops here. Conveniently landing in a parking lot normally used by the American LeMans Series team's transporters, we were treated to a tech presentation in the races shop—and later, plenty of time behind the wheel on those great, twisty, Connecticut two-laners. —Mike Allen

The Specs

The TL benefits from its third redesign since 1999, and Acura has learned the value of designing United States-market cars right here in the United States. The last two generations sprang from Ac ura's design studios in Los Angeles and engineering facilities in Ohio. This new TL is larger in every dimension, and comes based on the same platform as the new Accord. In Honda's case, "platform" means front crash structure, suspension pickup points and systems behind the metal that only a dealership tech will ever see. Some parts, like the front subframe, are aluminum on the TL, replacing the steel one in an Accord. This new TL chassis is stiffer than before in all bending tests. And from behind the wheel it's impossible to detect any of that shared Accord DNA.

You'll see two basic flavors of the new TL. The standard model is powered by an uprated 280-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 with 254 lb.-ft. of torque, based largely on the 3.2-liter engine it's replacing. Power is up from 254 hp and 233 lb.-ft., boosted by the larger displacement, increased compression ratio and enhanced intake and exhaust port flow. A slight increase in fuel economy comes from changing over to electrically powered steering, which, unlike conventional hydraulic power steering, consumes energy only when the wheel is turned. The TL offers a combined ETA rating of 21 mpg, up from 20 mpg.

The base TL is still front drive, but the chocolate-chocolate chip version benefits from all-wheel drive and a 305-hp, 3.7-liter V6 with 275 lb.-ft. to torque. This V-6 gets Honda's VTEC variable valve lift and timing program applied to both the intake and exhaust cams, delivering plenty of top-end boost while preserving a decent idle and emissions qualities. Both TL variants use a revised five-speed automatic.

Acura's Super Handling All Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) proportions torque to not only the front and rear axles, but actually provides extra torque to the outer wheels in corners, providing extra stability and road feel. In other words, it has a torque vectoring rear axle. The front-to-rear bias is normally 90:10, but can send as much as 70 percent to the rear. But that rear axle can send 100 percent of the torque to either side. So in a cornering situation, the system can load up the outside rear wheel with torque, and, according to Acura, help pull the TL through the turn.

All of this goodness rides on 245/45R18 M+S-rated tires on, of course, alloy wheels. There's also 245/40ZR19 summer-treaded rubber, on a zoomier-looking wheels. And the SH-AWD model comes with larger Brembo brakes, as well as cooling ducts in the front facia to help maintain fade-free stops.

The Drive

We had an ample opportunity to amble through the picturesque Connecticut countryside in this new TL. The standard V-6 pulls strongly, and there's no perceptible torque steer. The chassis is nicely calibrated to provide good grip as well as a smooth ride. And like many current Honda and Acura products of late, the TL is very quiet. However, with all-season rubber, we were able to find the limits when we pushed the TL really hard. The new electric steering is very quick and accurate, but it still doesn't offer quite the tactile sensation of a certain German marque.

The interior of the 2009 TL has many pleasing attributes—the binnacle's styling and functionality is very well thought out. The boffins at BMW who invented the iDrive menu system need to spend a few days commuting in the TL—the controls are intuitive. We were particularly impressed with the user interface on the navigation system. The display makes excellent use of a limited amount of real estate on the dash, and most of the common functions are graced with a hard button instead of a menu choice. And the 8-in. screen provides clean and clear map data, with more details than many systems in this segment. The only thing that detracts from this system is a bit of early morning sunlight glare on that screen.

As good as the rest of the interior is, the front seats are a bit hard and flat compared to others in the class. You have to step up to the SH-AWD model to get the "good" seats with bigger bolsters. The rear seat has plenty of room for a six-footer, yet the coupe-like roofline could cut into the headroom of anyone taller. The good news is there's just over 13 cu-ft. of trunk space in front drive models, so four golfing buddies can carry all the clubs they'll need.

After lunch, we grabbed the keys to a fully loaded 3986 pound SH-AWD car, and headed a little further out of town. Though more powerful than the base car, the SH-AWD model weighs more, too, so acceleration is only slightly more brisk. On less crowded roads, we managed to push the limits of the car's handling a little. The all-wheel-drive system—combined with those summer 19-in. tires and firmer suspension—generates serious grip. The steering feels light and agile at lower speeds, but tightens up and inspires confidence as you push harder.

The Bottom Line

Both TLs come only with an automatic, so those of us who prefer manual boxes will have to be content with using the paddle shifters. Fortunately, the lag time in shifts commanded by the paddles is blissfully short. However, when you're really hustling and need that downshift immediately, the Acura's system makes you wait a beat or two longer than, say, the 8-speed automatic in the Lexus IS-F. But then again, that hyper Lexus costs about $20,000 more than this TL. Next year, Acura says, they'll indeed offer a proper manual transmission. Regardless of the choice, we can hardly wait to get this SH-AWD model onto a proper racetrack.

Specific pricing hasn't been released yet, but Acura says the base car with standard equipment will hover around $34,000 when it hits dealerships this September. If you can wait until November for a SH-AWD—and option it out with the tech package, including goodies like MP3 integration, nav, Bluetooth and satellite radio and the larger tires and wheels—expect to pay around $42,000. We're looking forward to an even sportier Type-S version, probably available as a 2010 model.